News From USW: Steelworkers Say Strike Movement at Sappi Paper Mills is Growing; Demand Management Offer Fair Union Contract to Paper Plant Workers.

PITTSBURGH -- News From USW: Workers at three Sappi Fine Paper North America local unions on Monday voted to authorize a strike if a fair contract offer is not forthcoming from management, and the United Steelworkers (USW) say the onus is now on the South Africa-based company to make satisfactory offers to employees at its highly lucrative paper plants in the United States.

A majority of USW-represented Sappi paper plant workers in the United States voted to authorize a strike. USW locals at Westbrook, Maine, Cloquet, Minnesota, and Muskegon, Michigan, voted to strike if necessary at union meetings this week, while employees at Sappi's Skowhegan, Maine, plant voted to hold off for now on strike authorization until further negotiations are pursued. A smaller unit at the Cloquet mill represented by the Service Employees International Union did not authorize a strike among its members yet.

USW Vice President Richard LaCosse said, "This strike vote represents growing dissatisfaction among Sappi workers at the second-rate wages, benefits and working conditions the company wants to force on employees. If Sappi management wants labor peace, they need to significantly improve what they are proposing for paper plant workers at the mills, and soon."

LaCosse said, "Members of our union have a voice in their conditions of employment with companies like Sappi. The union also gives workers the ability to fight back if necessary. Sappi management can 'spin it' however they want in their press statements. It's clear that there is a lot of worker dissatisfaction right now with Sappi management's divisive, heavy handed labor relations policies."

He said the next round of negotiations will be crucial in determining if Sappi is serious about improving relations with paper plant workers.